Rick Orlov's Tipoff: Let the Los Angeles mayoral campaigns begin

With absentee ballots for the May 21 runoff going out today, the television and radio commercials have started and the mail is soon to come to remind voters of the election.

And, based on the primary election turnout, a lot of reminding will have to be done.

Controller Wendy Greuel has struck first on television with a negative ad on Councilman Eric Garcetti.

Garcetti has yet to directly respond to the ads, with aides saying only he plans to begin his television campaign "soon." However, an independent expenditure committee - Lots of People who Support Eric Garcetti for Mayor 2013 - started two radio ads to boost his candidacy.

The spots are in English and Spanish and deal with Garcetti's support for public safety and for immigrants.

The PAC's co-founder - Rick Jacobs, head of the progressive advocacy group Courage Campaign - said they plan to raise $1.1 million to help Garcetti. Jacobs acknowledged some of the money will come from unions but emphasized they are in the private sector, unlike the public employee unions that are backing Greuel.

Absentee and vote-by-mail ballots are playing an increasingly important role in all elections.

And, even though only about one-third of those sent out were returned for the primary election, vote-by-mail ballots accounted for 46 percent of the total vote.

Spending limits for the race already have been lifted as the Greuel campaign received more than $300,000 from an independent expenditure committee....

Even when he has a throw-away line, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa continues to stir the pot.

Last week, he was in Sacramento testifying in support of gun control measures and made a speech to the Sacramento Press Club.

During the speech, he said he had spoken to former Gov. Mitt Romney the day before.

His casual mention of talking to the former GOP presidential nominee piqued the interest of the reporters present, of course, because Villaraigosa was an outspoken supporter of President Obama and because he's been long mentioned as a potential California governor candidate.

"It got twisted," Villaraigosa said. "I was asked about the mayor's race and I told them that I appreciated that Wendy and Eric were willing to run. It's hard work being a candidate and I appreciate anyone who does it.

"And, I mentioned I had said the same thing to Romney in a telephone conversation. That's all it was. "

Today is a big day for Villaraigosa - he releases his last budget as mayor and, by all accounts, it will project more in revenue than the city has seen in years, thanks to the improving economy.

It is being described as a transitional budget in how it deals with the city's structural deficit and spells out a plan to solve it over the next year.

Aides say the deficit is much less than previously projected and new layoffs and furloughs will be avoided, thanks to nearly $100 million in new revenue to the city.

It also will contain a number of proposals expected to draw some heat.

Chief among these is a call for a freeze of cost-of-living increases for civilian employees. The mayor will also seek to require them to pay more for their health insurance.

The mayor also will seek the creation of his new Economic Development Department, recently approved by the City Council and designed to replace the Community Redevelopment Agency.

Among the plans are to bring in the activities of departments involved with development issues, like Planning and Building and Safety, as well as stripping development programs from other city agencies.

And, now that he is leaving office, Villaraigosa is planning to start a campaign for his budget, beginning with a town hall on Wednesday at Van Nuys City Hall, 14410 Sylvan St. It is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and will be held in the 2nd floor council chambers.